Good Food for All Summit 2026

Keynote Speakers you won’t want to miss

Opening Keynote: Mark Bittman

Mark Bittman has been writing about food since 1980 and has been a leading voice in global food culture and policy for more than a generation.

Bittman spent three decades at the New York Times and has won countless awards for journalism, books, and television. He is also the founder of Community Kitchen, a non-profit, sliding-scale restaurant.

Bittman will be in conversation with Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts.

Closing Keynote: Councilmember Christina Henderson, At-Large, Council of the District of Columbia

Christina Henderson serves as the chair of the Council’s Committee on Health and during her time on Council, Christina has worked to secure legislative and budgetary wins to improve maternal and reproductive health, increase the pay and benefits for workers, fight food insecurity, advance public safety and safe streets, support small businesses, and promote good governance.

Prior to her election in 2020, Christina provided counsel to United States Senators, DC Councilmembers, and state and local education officials on an array of domestic policy issues that deeply impact families and children.

Event Goals

We are convening people to catalyze change and transform the food landscape towards health while grounding our conversations in headline news around food.

• Align around the biggest topics facing food and health in the current environment.
• Encourage coalition-building among diverse stakeholders.
• Facilitate deep, meaningful interactions with key stakeholders addressing today’s challenges and opportunities facing access to healthy food.
• Showcase examples of collective impact in driving health through the power of food.

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Registration Opens

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM | Arrival and Plated Lunch

12:30 PM - 12:35 PM | Welcome

12:35 - 1:00 PM | The State of the Plate: 2026 and Beyond

Description: A high-energy opening conversation acknowledging the current economic headwinds and the collective mission to bridge the gap between “available” and “accessible” when it comes to foods that build health.

Speakers:

• Noreen Springstead, President and CEO, Partnership for a Healthier America
• Stacy Dean, Carbonell Family Executive Director, George Washington University Global Food Institute

1:00 PM - 1:40 PM | Keynote Conversation - Food Access: The Key Ingredient to Good Health

Moderator:

• Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts

Speaker:

• Mark Bittman, Journalist, Author, and Founder of Community Kitchen

1:40 PM - 2:25 PM | Panel Discussion - Community Health, Nutrition, and the Need for Affordability

Description: Why transformational work in health, nutrition, and the economic situation needs community voices to create vision, trust, and participation for meaningful impact.

Moderator:

• Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, Executive Director, Center for Population Health Sciences and Health Equity, George Washington University

Panelists:

• Debra Oto-Kent, Founding Executive Director, Health Education Council
• Ruby Ferguson, Food Equity Policy Lead, Greater Chicago Food Depository
• LaMonika Jones, Director, D.C. Hunger Solutions

2:30 PM - 2:55 PM | Networking and Fuel Break

3:00 PM - 3:45 PM | Fresh Talks

Description: Attendees choose one of two tracks. Two speakers will present a 10-minute TED-talk style presentation on a concept for the future of social good and the changing food landscape. This is followed by a 10-minute facilitated conversation with the group in the room.

Track A: Little Plates, Big Stakes

What children eat today shapes who they become tomorrow. These talks explore the frontlines of children’s nutrition policy — from reducing sugar in kids’ diets to making nutrition education work in the real world — at a moment when the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Moderator/Facilitator:

• Alex DiNovo, President & COO, DNO Produce

Speakers:

• Dr. Priya Fielding-Singh, Director of Policy and Programs, George Washington University Global Food Institute
• Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn, Executive Director, Pilot Light

Track B: Tech Innovation Lab

As America continues to embrace data-based decision making, we ask what happens when we empower participants of SNAP with more information than they’ve known before, and leverage the leading edge of AI in the food industry.

Moderator/Facilitator:

• Sarah Fleisch, Senior Director, Global Policy Development & Impact, Instacart

Speakers:

• Hilary Rainey, Senior Partnerships Manager, mRelief
• Rebecca Piazza, Executive Director of Safety Net Strategy, Code for America

3:45 PM - 4:00 PM | Second Networking Break

4:00 PM - 4:45 PM | Closing Panel - Healthier by Design: Retailers & Brands at the Frontline

Description: This session examines practical strategies for cutting through consumer confusion at the shelf, motivating healthier choices, and creating partnerships that deliver real value to the communities retailers and brands serve.

Moderator/Facilitator:

• Jason Wilson, SVP, Strategic Partnerships, Partnership for a Healthier America

Panelists:

• Jillian Griffith Lomax, Sr. Health Partnerships Manager, Amazon Access
• Julie Greene, Director, Guiding Stars Licensing Company
• Sarah Ludmer, Chief Wellbeing and Sustainable Business Officer, WK Kellogg Co
• Paloma Lopez, Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer, Bel North America

4:45 PM - 5:00 PM | Closing Keynote

Speaker:

• Councilmember Christina Henderson, At-Large, Council of the District of Columbia

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Evening Reception

See highlights from the 2025 Summit: